marvelmaniac

1.5 FAIR/GOOD (FR/GD): Back to Top Shows substantial to heavy wear. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and possibly unattractive, but still generally readable. Cover shows considerable wear and may be detached. Almost no cover reflectivity remaining. Book-length creases, tears and folds may be present. Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10 of the back cover may be missing. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are increasingly common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split between 2" and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress lines are common, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges. Acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior tears are common.

Slightly blunted corners, what appears to be a small color breaking crease at the top right corner, small staple tears, top edge of rear cover has a crease/wrinkle/crunch, lower outer edge of rear cover has denting/crunching, small fold at top left corner of rear cover. IMO, as the book sits right now...VF- 7.5 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to Top An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. 7.5 VERY FINE- (VF-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

Other than a couple of small/color breaking spine ticks, these old eyes do not see any other issues. Without having the book in front of me, IMO you are in the NM- 9.2 range. 9.4 NEAR MINT (NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. Subtle bindery/printing defects are allowed. Bindery tears must be less than 1/16" on Silver Age and later books, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1/4" have been noted. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples are generally centered; may have slight discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. 9.2 NEAR MINT- (NM-): Back to Top Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. Very minor foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. Paper is off-white to cream and supple. Very minor interior tears may be present.

Blunted/rounded corners with multiple color breaking creases, moderate to severe edge wear with multiple small tears, small pieces missing and color breaking creases, moderate spine stress with color breaking stress lines and vertical color breaking creases, upper and lower spine splits, added staples and/or staples are severley off center, moderate discoloration/soiling of rear cover, pages are tan to brown. IMO...GD/VG 3.0 to VG+ 3.5 4.0 VERY GOOD (VG): Back to Top The average used comic book. Cover shows moderate to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Cover reflectivity is low. Can have moderate creases or dimples. Corners may be blunted. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. Moderate spine roll may be present and/or a 1" spine split. Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. 3.5 VERY GOOD- (VG-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 3.0 GOOD/VERY GOOD (GD/VG): Back to Top A used comic book showing some substantial wear. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Cover reflectivity is very low. Can have a book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners may be blunted or even rounded. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable. Tape and other amateur repair may be present. Moderate spine roll likely. May have a spine split of anywhere from 1" to 1-1/2". Staples may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears and moderate stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present.

I only collect raw books and out of my 2000 book collection I have 342 books that I have graded between PR 0.5 and GD- 1.8, I also have 10 remainder copies and 1 coverless book (Sad Sack Comics 1 - 1949) I collected on a budget and I am a completist, so finishing runs to my cutoff point for that title was my goal, so if the two books mentioned were my choices, whichever book is less money is the way I would go. I had no problem buying this TTA 35 about 20 years ago that is obviously restored.

Actually I use Heritage Auctions Grading Guide which is probably the same as Overstreet, using the Heritage guide is much easier for grading online. Depending on the size/location of a date stamp, they are allowed all the way up to and including MT 9.9. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions

Blunted corners with color loss and small color breaking creases at the top right corner, small/lower bindery tear, edge wear with color loss and a color breaking crease/scratch at the lower outer edge, color breaking crease/scratch under the price box, discolored top staple, a couple of small spine ticks, creases/folds at top/bottom outer corners of rear cover, minor foxing/discoloration on rear cover, slight readers crease by spine on rear cover. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

Blunted top left corner with color loss and a small color breaking crease, discolored staples, readers crease on rear cover by spine. The color breaking crease at the top left corner prevents this book from being a higher grade. IMO...FN/VF 7.0 to VF- 7.5 https://bleedingcool.com/comics/cgc-insider/cgc-insider-9-readers-creases/ 8.0 VERY FINE (VF): Back to Top An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. A limited accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Cover is relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable 1/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. Spine is almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. Paper is cream to tan and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. 7.5 VERY FINE- (VF-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Very Fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

GD- 1.8 2.0 GOOD (GD): Back to Top Shows substantial wear; often considered a "reading copy." Cover shows significant wear and may even be detached. Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases completely absent. Book-length creases and dimples may be present. Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square, although some Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price corner box clipped from the top left front cover and may be considered Good if they would otherwise have graded higher. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is likely. May have up to a 2" spine split. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown but not brittle. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Moderate interior tears may be present. 1.8 GOOD- (GD-): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 1.5 FAIR/GOOD (FR/GD): Back to Top Shows substantial to heavy wear. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, and possibly unattractive, but still generally readable. Cover shows considerable wear and may be detached. Almost no cover reflectivity remaining. Book-length creases, tears and folds may be present. Rounded corners are increasingly common. Soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing is generally present. Up to 1/10 of the back cover may be missing. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are increasingly common in Silver Age and older books. Spine roll is common. May have a spine split between 2" and 2/3 the length of the book. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Staple tears and stress lines are common, as well as rust migration. Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges. Acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Interior tears are common.

I have these books from Wizard World Philly 2007/2008, a quick check on Ebay for the F.F. issue has sellers asking $15.00 - $25.00 for raw copies and anywhere from $65.00 - $300.00 for graded 9.8's. The only one that has sold in the last 3 month's was a raw BIN for $15.00, the Iron Man variant is selling for around $35.00 graded NM/MT 9.8. Hope this helps.

Looking at all of your pics, it appears this book would have been in the FN/VF 7.0 range, however, the tape pull is a killer here, there is no black and white answer to how much of a grade drop the book would see due to this defect, IMO, the tape pull drops the grade to the VG/FN 5.0 - FN- 5.5 range.

Blunted/rounded corners, some edge wear with color loss, moderate spine stress with color breaking spine ticks/stress lines and vertical color breaking creases, moderate color loss between the "r and i" with some general overall color loss to front cover, minor to moderate spine roll, staples appear to be discolored and recessed (is the cover loose or detached at one or both staples?) small tear at top edge of rear cover, minor to moderate discoloration of the rear cover. 5.0 VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN): Back to Top An above-average but well used comic book. An accumulation of bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold may be loose. Minor interior tears may also be present.

Slightly blunted lower corners, moderate top edge wear with creasing and color loss, moderate color loss along bottom of outer edge and some color loss along lower edge, cover wrap is not centered (as seen on rear cover), lower staple is not centered. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

Long bindery tear /start of a spine split at top, blunted corners with a small color breaking crease at lower right corner, color breaking crease off of the outer edge,, edge wear with some denting along top edge, minor spine wear with a few spine ticks and a small tear/stain at center spine, top staple slightly off center and slightly discolored, minor staining/discoloration along spine on rear cover. 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present.

The GRR books had no number or price. "The GRR can be really hard to distinguish from the original comics. There are, however, certain tell-tale signs that give them away. First, there is no cover price on the GRR. Also, in general the back cover, as well as the inside covers, promoted the Golden Record LP series instead of BB Guns or Atlas body building ads." Here are pics of what the GRR looks like.

Your question is a fair one, however, there is no black and white answer, writing on the cover is not specifically mentioned in the grading standards other than store stamps/arrival dates, it all depends on the amount/severity of the writing in question and the overall grade of the book, as far as value, that depends on the book (overall condition/title/issue #). Comic books are graded in their entirety, not just one lone defect, the most common forms of writing on the cover are doodles by kids, either drawings, word bubbles or their name. Signatures from artists/writers that are not witnessed by CGC are also labeled as a defect (by CGC). "Store Stamps" may be considered a defect depending on the size/placement and the overall grade of the book, "stamped or inked arrival dates" are not considered a defect, again, it depends on the size/location on high grade books as the term "unobtrusive location" is used. Writing on the cover/interior pages of a book in VG 4.0 or lower will probably not affect the grade at all, again, depending the amount/severity of the writing, books in GD/VG 3.0 and lower there is not even a mention of writing/date stamps. If you would like an overall grade of the book in question, post in the "https://boards.cgccomics.com/forum/42-hey-buddy-can-you-spare-a-grade/" section with good/clear/large pics of the front/rear covers, inside front/rear covers, splash page and centerfold. VG 4.0 - Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. VG/FN 5.0 - Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. FN 6.0 - Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. FN/VF 7.0 - Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. VF 8.0 - Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. VF/NM 9.0 - Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. NM- 9.2 - Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. NM 9.4 - Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. NM+ 9.6 - Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Date Stamp - Date Stamp In Marker - Doodling -

Can we get a clear full front cover pic?

Bindery tear at top, blunted/slight color breaking crease at lower left corner, slight lower edge wear with some color loss, some color rub/loss in black areas of cover, minor to moderate spine stress with multiple color breaking stress lines/tears, slight staple tears, small crease/tear(?) along outer edge of rear cover. IMO, the multiple color breaking stress lines prevent this book from being a higher grade, FN+ 6.5 - FN/VF 7.0 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. 6.5 FINE+ (FN+): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 6.0 FINE (FN): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Some accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4" spine split or severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose.

My ...Personally, with the two large pieces missing I would have graded that book in the GD+ 2.5 - GD/VG 3.0 range depending on the rest of the book, IMO, the issue itself should not play a part in how much leniency the book receives from a grader, if anything, only the time period should make a difference, Gold always seems to get more leniency but that should include all books from the era, you cannot pick and choose which books get special treatment because you like one better than the other, (although real life seems to work that way) graders have to remain impartial. If you are going to be that lenient on an X-Men 1 then all Silver Age books should get the same treatment, IMO, this is done to keep folks happy and coming back, just like everything else, it is all about If the book itself were higher grade with the pieces missing it would be graded accordingly, and because there are two pieces missing and the grading standards always refer to the singular the book should be downgraded accordingly. The grading standards I go by... GD 2.0 - The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square, GD/VG 3.0 - A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable. VG 4.0 - - As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. Grading is very subjective and has lots of Gray areas, we could argue/debate grading all day long and not resolve anything, the moral, regardless of an assigned grade, always look at the book in its entirety yourself and determine if you would be happy with it as is.

From what I am led to believe is, if the glasses were actually attached to the comic when new and are now detached or missing then you would get a Green label, if the glasses were loose such as additional items in a polybagged book then no, CGC will not deduct for that and you would receive a Blue label. If the book in question is the 1953 issue that reads "Free Glasses" at the top left cover then I would assume you would get a Green Label if they are missing or detached, the 1985 version I am not sure. I did look in my Sad Sack Harvey 3D Hits and there is a cardboard piece showing where the glasses were attached.

Slight blunting on lower right corner, small bindery tear at lower spine, small color breaking scratch at lower edge, minor spine stress with a couple of small color breaking spine ticks and moderate color breaking stress lines by lower staple, some color loss along spine, what appears to be a crease in the price box under the "25", moderate foxing on rear cover, 1/4" triangle w/tear missing from rear cover lower edge. Due to the mising piece and the foxing, IMO...VG/FN 5.0 - FN- 5.5 GD 2.0 - The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. GD/VG 3.0 - A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable, Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. VG 4.0 - As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable, Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. VG/FN 5.0 - minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. FN 6.0 - minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing.

All I see is the small bindery tear (keeps it out of the NM 9.4 category) and the cover wrap being off center by a good amount, the staples appear to be pretty much centered and I do not see a spine roll, I would assume that the off center wrap is bindery related. I have no idea how CGC views this type of bindery issue, my opinion is that it affects the aesthetics of the book, IMO...VF/NM 9.0 9.2 NEAR MINT- (NM-): Back to Top Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. A limited number of minor bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1/16-1/8" bend is permitted with no color break. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. Slight foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Almost no stress lines. Paper is off-white to cream, supple and fresh. Slight interior tears are allowed. 9.0 VERY FINE/NEAR MINT (VF/NM): Back to Top Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. A limited number of bindery/printing defects are allowed. Cover is almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8" bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. Very minor foxing. Spine is tight and flat. Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. Paper is off-white to cream and supple. Very minor interior tears may be present.

Blunted corners with a small tear/piece missing at the lower right corner, wavy top edge with foxing, minor spine stress with small staple tears and a few small color breaking spine ticks, rear cover top edge has minor foxing, discoloration along the spine of the rear cover. IMO...FN 6.0 to FN+ 6.5 7.0 FINE/VERY FINE (FN/VF): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A small accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing. The slightest spine roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. Paper is cream to tan. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. 6.5 FINE+ (FN+): Back to Top Fits the criteria for Fine but with an additional virtue or small accumulation of virtues that improves the book's appearance by a perceptible amount. 6.0 FINE (FN): Back to Top An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Some accumulation of minor bindery/printing defects is allowed. Minor cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases. Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. A minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1/4" spine split or severe color break. Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor rust migration. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose.

First, grading is subjective, there is no black and white to grading, only lots of gray areas, hence CGC has the books looked at by more than one grader, also, you are not the first and will not be the last to complain about an assigned grade. Comic books are graded in their entirety, an accumulation of defects, not just one defect, in lower grade books that defect may be allowed and will not lower the grade any more than it is, however, one defect on a higher grade book could lower the book by 1-2 points or more, depending on the grade and defect. Just out of curiosity, were these books posted in the https://boards.cgccomics.com/forum/42-hey-buddy-can-you-spare-a-grade/ at any time, if so, what was the groups consensus on the grade? If you have looked at any posts in the above section you will see that folks are not always in agreement on grading, I tend to be conservative regardless of how CGC see's it and when on the fence, I always go lower. Learning to grade can be challenging but with lots of practice/patience you can become somewhat prolific at grading, (nobody will ever agree with you 100% of the time) there are numerous aids to help. You can purchase the Overstreet Grading Guide or the new CGC Grading Guide, you can assign a grade to a book then post the book in the "spare a grade" section and see if folks agree with your assessment, I give detailed explanations of the defects when I post with an explanation of how I reached that conclusion of grade. https://comics.ha.com/tutorial/comics-grading.s?show=comicdefinitions There are also videos from CGC that explain some defects and how they may affect the grade of the book. https://www.google.com/search?sca_esv=575236831&sxsrf=AM9HkKm9epJcgDgUh1ykFjDvqQxLWtQqfA:1697821431149&q=cgc+insider+videos&tbm=vid&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiima7ajYWCAxVzGVkFHXBMBu0Q0pQJegQIDBAB&biw=1280&bih=563&dpr=1.5